Well, that passed. Sorry - thought it was going to be a major scoop. Anyhoo, here's what's going on in the re-christened Man-E-Wood:

Joe Torre Pre-Game Pow Wow (Official Name): Looking more tan than three days in St Louis would dictate, Joe Torre showed why only Pauly from GoodFellas had the moxie to portray him. In what can only be the quote of the year, Joe Torre assured the press that he's not taking the Dodgers' lofty record for granted. "I've done the ultimate blowing [against the Red Sox]! And that was only in one week." Torre went on to discuss the All-Star Game, where Shane Victorino broke the ice with President Obama by giving him macadamia nuts and sneakers. The questions eventually turned to a surprising topic: Manny. When asked if Manny might be a repeat offender, Torre explained, "I'm a trusting fellow." He defended Manny, explaining that even when your kids do something wrong, you still love them. I hope Joe Torre can take the time to talk with my (Dodger-hating) Mom, who still holds a grudge against me for "sabotaging" my Hebrew School Graduation.

BTW, I'm not sure who the Cossack-looking gentleman is in the picture, but he had the most fascinating insights into The Last Samurai. Apparently, he's still miffed that Edward Zwick did not contact him as a consultant, but found the Tom Cruise kimono dressing scene incredibly sexy.

Batting Practice: Manny was a monster out there. I swear that if it was night, he would have hit the moon. Casey Blake was batting for average, blooping and hitting the holes like a vet. And from the looks of it, Loretta was "hitting" for bench time.

I had planned to grab a couple of players for interviews, but didn't want to come off like this guy...

Ooo... they got free cookies. More to come from the booth and what has easily been one of my best experiences at a baseball game since ending my season-long slump in Little League (with one game left). Stay tuned.